Organizers delay park

OMAK  Organizers of a proposed off-leash dog park have had to put groundbreaking ceremonies on hold for a while.

The build was originally scheduled to begin Oct. 12, but has been postponed until at least November as members of the Wag N Run Committee look to secure the remainder of the funds needed, Chairman Lew Goebel said.

Goebel said his original cost for the park was $10,000.

“We have raised approximately $7,000 total in materials and dollars,” he said.

The park is planned for the grassy area near the dike and the Little League field in East Side Park.

The fenced area would be about 130 feet long and 75 feet wide.

Some items for the park have already been purchased, including four pickup stations, message boards, rules boards, memorial boards and enough bags to fill the pickup stations for a year. Goebel said he expects those items to be delivered within a week.

Goebel said it’s been a long process pushing the dog park step by step a little closer to reality.

“I’ve been working on this dog park for four years,” he said. “But there is light at the end of the tunnel. We’re in the ballpark.”

Goebel said more will be known about the projected groundbreaking by early November.

If funds are secured quick enough, construction could begin in November, or it could be pushed back until spring, due to weather.